Welcome to this edition of The Palm Beach Weekender. In today’s newsletter I’ll be featuring a weekend events preview (full list will be sent Thursday), Weekly Scoops, a Local Spotlight, and a brand new section called Beyond The Palm Beaches.

In today’s TPBW edition:

• 🌊 Oceanwalk by Benny’s is now open

• 🔦 Local Spotlight: a delicious ramen spot

• 🌴 Beyond The Palm Beaches: Canyons in Florida?

Weekend Events Preview

☀️ Spirit Fest
👛 Little Vintage Show
🐂 Annual Arrigo Dodge Extreme Rodeo
💎 Annual Gem, Mineral, Bead & Fossil Show
⛄ WPB GreenMarket Workshop: Snow and Glow Paint & Sip

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Weekly Scoop

🏊 $36m aquatic center coming to Lake Lytal
A state of the art aquatic center is coming to Lake Lytal. It’ll feature a 70 meter competition pool, an aquatic play zone, an Olympic style skate park, and a premier YMCA community center. Construction is underway now,l and is expected to be finished by Summer 2027.

🍽️ New plant based restaurant opens in downtown WPB
Christopher’s Kitchen, a popular plant based restaurant from Palm Beach Gardens, has officially opened a second location in downtown West Palm. They’re sharing the space with Meraki, and you can check them out at 328 Fern St, West Palm Beach.

❌ PBC cancels deal to buy LaQuinta Inn
Earlier this year, Palm Beach County had plans to convert LaQuinta Inn, on Okeechobee Blvd in WPB, into housing for veterans and seniors on the verge of homelessness. But now PBC Commissioners have voted to not move forward with the purchase because of deplorable conditions.

🐄 Chick-fil-A location in Royal Palm reopens
After almost 5 months of extensive remodeling, the Chick-fil-A located at 206 S State Rd 7 is reopening today November 18, and will now feature a triple lane drive-thru and a completely renovated interior.

🌊 Oceanwalk by Benny's is now open
Oceanwalk by Benny’s on the Beach has officially reopened after a complete interior remodel. They also brought on a new culinary director that has revamped the menu with a focus on fresh Florida seafood and seasonal produce. You can check them out at 10 S Ocean Blvd, Lake Worth Beach.

🇨🇺 Pinecrest Bakery in Greenacres is officially open
Pinecrest Bakery is officially open and is serving everything from sweet pastries to fresh Cuban sandwiches and much more. You can find them at 4650 Jog Rd, Greenacres. They also have another location coming to Boynton around summer 2026.

🍦 Lily's Handmade Ice Cream is now open in Boynton
Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream’s newest location is now open in Boynton Beach! You can find them at 3837 W Woolbright Rd, Boynton Beach.

🏖️ Delray's shoreline will be rebuilt this winter
Delray Beach is set to begin a $19m beach renourishment project this winter to rebuild its eroding shoreline. The project is set to be completed before the start of sea turtle nesting season on March 1.

🏨 Delray's first Autograph Collection Hotel
The Seagate Hotel in Delray just went through a $55m renovation and has reopened as the city’s first Autograph Collection hotel under Marriott Bonvoy’s.

🍽️ New vegan restaurant opens in Delray
True Vegan officially opened its doors over the weekend in Delray and is serving everything from vegan pizza to vegan cheesecake. You can find them at 123 E Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach.

🧠 Free Alzheimer's & Caregiving Educational Conference
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is hosting a free conference tomorrow, November 19, at the Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center from 10am to 1pm. It’s open to everyone, and you’ll be learning from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, and caregiving.

Local Spotlight

Ramen Lab Eatery

📍Ramen Lab Eatery, 1880 N Congress Ave #104, Boynton Beach
💵 Price Range: $

I’m a huge fan of ramen and pho, so I’m always on the hunt for new spots to try. Last week I finally stopped by Ramen Lab in Boynton, and let me just say… if you’re craving a delicious bowl of ramen, this place needs to be on your list. 

About Ramen Lab Eatery

Ramen Lab was started in 2017 by the talented Louis Grayson. The menu pulls from Japanese, Korean and Thai flavors, so it’s not just ramen, you’ll find everything from Thai donuts to loaded kimchi fries. 

They’re also supposedly the only ones in the county that handmakes their ramen noodles. And one of my favorite things about them is that they have a team of seniors who hand wrap all their dumplings. How wholesome is that?

My Honest Review

Their Boynton Beach location is really nice, great atmosphere, super clean, well lit, beautiful bar, and the staff is genuinely friendly. I was honestly surprised because it feels more like an upscale restaurant than a casual ramen spot.

I started with the Nana Wings with the Gochujang sauce and they were so good. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The sauce is a bit spicy, but it’s totally tolerable. But keep in mind that I do enjoy spicy food. 

For my main dish, I went with the Ramen Tonkotsu. It comes with a rich pork broth, pork belly, a soft boiled egg, scallion, bamboo shoot, kikurage mushroom and nori. Everything worked really well together, and the portion was pretty big too, definitely something you could share with someone if you wanted.

Final Thoughts

They currently have three locations, two in Boca and one in Boynton. Their Delray location closed a few months ago, but they’re planning to open a new upscale Japanese street food concept soon in the same space.

Both dishes I had were delicious, and highly recommend checking Ramen Lab out. It's the perfect place to warm up during one of these cold fronts and enjoy a delicious meal made with a lot of heart.

Quick note, Ramen Lab is always collaborating up with other local restaurants like Palm Beach Meats and Zipitios to host pop-up dinners. I’ll share those with you when they’re announced.

Beyond The Palm Beaches

The Canyons Zip Line & Adventure Park

📍The Canyons Zip Line & Adventure Park, 8045 NW Gainesville Rd, Ocala
🎟️ $45+

There’s a place in Ocala that feels nothing like the central Florida we know. Instead of flat trails and slow rivers, you’ll find cliffs and spring fed lakes hidden inside an old limestone quarry. The Canyons Zip Line & Adventure Park is one of those places that you absolutely have to stop by and experience for yourself.

A Little Backstory

The entire park sits on the historic Zuber Mine, once a buzzing limestone quarry that nature has slowly reclaimed. Today the old stone walls and deep cuts in the earth have become canyon like formations. You’ll see layers of old quarry stone tucked under moss and trees, steep rock walls, forested ridges, and glassy blue lakes. It’s one of the only places in Florida where you can stand at the edge of a cliff and look down into a blue spring fed lake below.

Zip Lining Through the “Canyons”

If you’ve ever zip lined through a forest in Florida, this is a completely different experience. Here, you can choose one of their many zip line tours where you’ll be gliding from cliff to cliff, sometimes soaring 155 feet above the ground. Every zip line tour starts with an introduction to zip lining and also includes a practice zip to help beginners get comfortable before heading out.

Other Activities

Maybe you’re like me, who prefers to stay closer to the ground. If so, the horseback trails and lake kayaking are a much more peaceful way to experience the canyons. Their horseback tour takes you along gentle ridges, quiet lake edges, and through the beautiful woods draped in Spanish moss. 

They also offer kayaking tours where you can paddle alongside the massive cliff walls while a guide points out fossils and all the cool little details that make this place unlike anything else in Florida.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re flying above the treetops or quietly paddling along the canyon walls, this is the kind of place that leaves you feeling refreshed, a little awed, and grateful for the pockets of hidden gems tucked around our beautiful state.

Thanks!
Thank you for reading! If you want to share any feedback or want to just reach out, email me here → [email protected]